Portland sues Jobdango over sidewalk chalk graffiti

The city wants to be paid for cleaning hundreds of the
company's ads on downtown streets

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

TARA BALLENGER

The Oregonian Staff

When sidewalk graffiti done in chalk went beyond innocent
hopscotch squares, the city of Portland drew a line on the
pavement.

The city is suing Jobdango Inc. for $5,446 in cleanup costs
after the online job classifieds company drew hundreds of
chalk advertisements on city streets reading
"Jobdango.com." The ads appeared overnight in
September.

"They are well within knowing they can't do
this," said Benjamin Walters, who is representing the
city in the suit.

He added that Jobdango had drawn similar graffiti on
sidewalks in 2005 and had been warned by the city with
letters that went unanswered. Two years later, he said, the
company did the same thing again, and the city sent it a
$5,446 bill that went unpaid.

"They acknowledged that they did it," but the
company wanted to try to get a permit for the
advertisements, not pay restitution costs, Walters said.

Jobdango, as well as Joseph Tripi, who is representing the
company in the case, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

But doesn't chalk just wash off, considering all that
Portland rain?

September was a dry month last year, said Matt Bellet, crew
leader of Downtown Clean & Safe, the nonprofit
organization that did the cleanup through its contract with
the city to remove graffiti. "When it doesn't
rain, it goes absolutely nowhere," Bellet said.
"Even when it does rain, it sometimes still
doesn't go anywhere."

Bellet's crew spent several hours cleaning hundreds of
chalk advertisements, which were 2 to 4 feet long and
appeared on nearly every corner on Southwest Third and
Fourth avenues from Washington to Market streets. They had
to be power washed, then scrubbed by hand, and each took
about 10 minutes to remove.

"Chalk is not as easy to dispose of as people think.
While you're waiting for it to rain, it looks messier
and messier and messier," said Marsha Dennis, who
directs the city's graffiti abatement department.

Though chalk graffiti and advertising graffiti are both
rare, they do occur, she said. When cleaning costs for
signs, bridges, private property and yes, even sidewalks,
are all added up, the city spends more than $1 million a
year removing graffiti.

"There's hardly a block without graffiti of some
sort on it, and we're trying to clean it up every
single day," Dennis said. "If we did nothing,
imagine what the city would look like?"

But kids doodling on the pavement with their sidewalk chalk
shouldn't fear -- the city isn't coming after them
anytime soon.

"Not everyone who writes on the sidewalk will get
sued," said Walters, adding that the city is going
after Jobdango because the company had been warned before
and because of the high number of markings left in one
night. The medium, he said, is no excuse.

"If we don't object to the chalk, then the next
time someone is going to use spray paint."

Portland sues Jobdango over sidewalk chalk graffiti

The city wants to be paid for cleaning hundreds of the
company's ads on downtown streets

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

TARA BALLENGER

The Oregonian Staff

When sidewalk graffiti done in chalk went beyond innocent
hopscotch squares, the city of Portland drew a line on the
pavement.

The city is suing Jobdango Inc. for $5,446 in cleanup costs
after the online job classifieds company drew hundreds of
chalk advertisements on city streets reading
"Jobdango.com." The ads appeared overnight in
September.

"They are well within knowing they can't do
this," said Benjamin Walters, who is representing the
city in the suit.

He added that Jobdango had drawn similar graffiti on
sidewalks in 2005 and had been warned by the city with
letters that went unanswered. Two years later, he said, the
company did the same thing again, and the city sent it a
$5,446 bill that went unpaid.

"They acknowledged that they did it," but the
company wanted to try to get a permit for the
advertisements, not pay restitution costs, Walters said.

Jobdango, as well as Joseph Tripi, who is representing the
company in the case, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

But doesn't chalk just wash off, considering all that
Portland rain?

September was a dry month last year, said Matt Bellet, crew
leader of Downtown Clean & Safe, the nonprofit
organization that did the cleanup through its contract with
the city to remove graffiti. "When it doesn't
rain, it goes absolutely nowhere," Bellet said.
"Even when it does rain, it sometimes still
doesn't go anywhere."

Bellet's crew spent several hours cleaning hundreds of
chalk advertisements, which were 2 to 4 feet long and
appeared on nearly every corner on Southwest Third and
Fourth avenues from Washington to Market streets. They had
to be power washed, then scrubbed by hand, and each took
about 10 minutes to remove.

"Chalk is not as easy to dispose of as people think.
While you're waiting for it to rain, it looks messier
and messier and messier," said Marsha Dennis, who
directs the city's graffiti abatement department.

Though chalk graffiti and advertising graffiti are both
rare, they do occur, she said. When cleaning costs for
signs, bridges, private property and yes, even sidewalks,
are all added up, the city spends more than $1 million a
year removing graffiti.

"There's hardly a block without graffiti of some
sort on it, and we're trying to clean it up every
single day," Dennis said. "If we did nothing,
imagine what the city would look like?"

But kids doodling on the pavement with their sidewalk chalk
shouldn't fear -- the city isn't coming after them
anytime soon.

"Not everyone who writes on the sidewalk will get
sued," said Walters, adding that the city is going
after Jobdango because the company had been warned before
and because of the high number of markings left in one
night. The medium, he said, is no excuse.

"If we don't object to the chalk, then the next
time someone is going to use spray paint."